Bill Cheek - World Scanner Report

Publisher/Editor: I. D« Cheek, Sr. aka n Dr. KigoreortiV V1H6 : July, 1991

THE WORLD SCANNER REPORT

k Journal of VHP-UHP Scanner Technology & Engineering

Published at: COHMtronics Engineering; PO BOX 262478; San Diego, CA 92196 Copyright (c) 1991 (All Rights Reserved) $4,88

WE’RE BACK! LADY HACKERS?

Vacation’s over and it’s back to work, and I mean WORK.
We’ve got it cut out for us now. Since last issue,
"Monitoring Times" Magazine invited me to take over the
monthly Experimenter’s Workshop column which I eagerly
accepted. It’s going to be a fun venture and probably
quite rewarding for all of us, YOU dear readers included!
See, "MT" has somewhere around 30,000 subscribers and
that means my network of contacts will expand immensely.
There will be loads of new ideas, suggestions, circuits,
mods, and other things that can’t all fit in the limited
space for my MT column. There’s a good chance I’ll be
inspired to take the "WORLD SCANNER REPORT" to greater
heights with the overflow alone, and you will be the
beneficiaries. Do I mind hard work? Not in the slightest,
especially when it’s fun! There’s only a couple of things
in this world that are more fun than writing about radio
and we won’t get into them here <grin>. So what’s up?

I will share a little with you: my first article for MT
will appear in the July issue; a primer on CTCSS along
the lines of which was introduced to you in Vol-2 of my
SCANNER MOD HANDBOOK. You probably won’t pick up much
from that article, it’s so basic, but 29,000 others will
benefit. The August issue will have the plans & designs
for a basic Remote Controller for the PRO-2004/5/6 and
perhaps other scanners. As featured, the controller will
handle up to three functions, SCAN, MANUAL and DELAY from
a remote box attached to the scanner via a 9-conductor
umbilical cable and an appropriate connector. Using the
9-conductor cable, and a bit of extra circuitry, up to 5
or 6 scanner functions can be controlled from the Remote.
Now, if that whets your appetite for remote control, our
beloved Professor Peabody has come up with a method to
remote control all 29 functions with a wired controller.
We may feature that mod either here or in “Monitoring
Times" if there is sufficient interest. Let me know, ok?

The September issue of MT will have a neat little
experiment for detection of CTCSS tones, and then the
main attraction will be a method to use Radio Shack’s
Sound Level Meter as an Electromagnetic Field Meter! If
you can do without a lot of detail, I’ll give you a sneak
preview of that nifty project later in this issue.

I’ll have to watch my P’s and Q’s to avoid problems of
ethics and conflicts of interest, so there won’t be a lot
of duplicity between the "WSR" and my MT articles, though
the two might often contain the same subject matter . My
articles for MT will be addressed to a general reader
base of thousands; you guys ’n gals will get more hard
core stuff; more nitty gritty, because you’re hackers!

Did I say, "gals" above? Sho’ did! There are several
lady hackers in our midst, one of whom is so eaten up
with cutting, chopping & hacking radios that she might
put a lot of us guys to shame. At last count, Joann
Haines of San Mateo, CA had a PRO-2006, PRO-2020, PRO-32,
Sony PRO-80, and no telling what else, all hacked to
pieces and rebuilt to earth quaking, fire-breathing,
smoke-blowing specs! Joann had the nerve to tell me she
didn’t really know what she was doing. Compliments to
Joann for her daring and sheer audacity to hack!

WELCOME NEW AND RETURNING READERS

A new subscription period has begun with this issue which
means that new subscribers won’t automatically receive
all the back issues anymore unless requested. New subs
start this month. If back issues are desired, they will
be available at rates given on the subscription blank.
The back issues are highly recommended because the nature
of the "WSR" is a lot different from other magazines and
newsletters. We won’t repeat previously published info.
Most info from Day One will be just as pertinent in the
future as back then. A mod is still a mod, you see. We
will be happy to adjust new subs to cover the back issues
at the original cost for the near future. That is,
subscribe for a year and get a discount off the 6-mos
rate; two years gets an even better discount. The back
issues to Jan-91 can qualify your subscription to get the
appropriate discount. A hearty welcome to new readers
this month and humble thanks to those who have continued!

A SPECIAL ADJUSTMENT IN THE PRO-2004/5/6

To date, we have paid lots of attention to the "brains"
of the PRO-2004/5/6, (the CPU) but absolutely nothing has
been said about its "heart", the Reference Oscillator.
Open your Service Manual for your PRO-2004/5/6 to the
schematic diagram for the PLL Section. Hunt up IC-301
(PRO-2004) or IC-302 (PRO-2005/6). Next find Pin 1 of
that chip, an MC145158. Follow the trace from Pin 1 and
it will run directly to a nondescript little gizmo called
"X-301". Bet you never noticed it before, or if so, you
probably dismissed it as unimportant. The Service Manual
pays it no attention and pretty much leads you to believe
that it is just a 10 MHz crystal. It’s not mentioned in
the Alignment Instructions, either. Oh, but this little
puppy is more than just a crystal, measuring 18mm x 8mm x
10mm high. X-301 contains a crystal; a transistor and a
few other very special components and has the following
visible markings: TEW & TX1824 with various suffixes.
X-301 also has a little hole on top of its metal housing,
sealed with a small square of clear tape. Inside that

hole is an ADJUSTMENT! And, for Pete’s Sake, LEAVE IT
ALONE until you learn what it’s for and what it takes to
tweak it and what will happen if you do.

Know how important the scanner’s CPU is? Well X-301 is
just as important if not more. Brains without hearts are
about as worthless as the other way round. This baby is
hot and we’re not supposed to know about it for good
reason! X-301 is the Master Reference Oscillator for the
scanner. It’s vital to run at exactly 10.00000 MHz give
or take maybe 10 Hz. That’s what the ADJUSTMENT is for
and there is absolutely NO WAY to correctly adjust it
without the proper tool and equipment. I wouldn’t even
tell you about X-301 except for a wonderful little use
for it that I’ll get into a bit later. But if I mention
X-301 at all, then I’m obliged to tell the whole story,
so bear with me here if you don’t like tech stories.

X-301 has to run at an exact frequency or else the
scanner won’t run with precision; kind of like the timing
of your car’s ignition. That 10 MHz does a number of
thing in your scanner, one of which is to get multiplied
up to around 600 MHz for use as the first I.F. injection
frequency. So a 20 Hz error at 10 MHz, multiplied by 60
becomes a 1200 Hz error at 600 MHz. Not bad, but not
good either. The fine razor’s edge of your scanner’s
performance can be lost with errors in excess of 10 Hz.
At errors of 40 Hz or more, it’s sunk!

Now here is WHY Radio Shack doesn’t tell us about that
adjustment. Say you have a frequency counter. (Adjust
X-301 without one, you’re hopelessly mired.) With one,
you’re armed and dangerous! Inside the counter is a
circuit (Time Base) that determines the accuracy of the
counter which must be more accurate than the freq you’re
about to measure. Your freq counter is no more accurate
than its Time Base, and in most hobby grade counters and
lots of bench counters, the Time Base is pretty sloppy.
I’m saying that you can’t trust your frequency counter to
be as accurate as required for X-301 adjustments. In
fact, X-301 is probably more accurate and stable than any
ten frequency counters around! Let’s put it this way, I
have several frequency counters; some good and some so-so
and I don’t trust any of ’em without first checking their
calibration because the Time Base in each one drifts
throughout the course of a day by as much as 200-300 Hz.
Your counters are probably worse than that. But even if
your freq counter is off by as little as 20 Hz, it’s
worthless by which to adjust X-301!

Now I am going to undo almost everything I just said by
telling you HOW to adjust X-301, but there are some
restrictions. Read ’em and heed ’em. First, the tool
necessary to adjust X-301 can’t be found just anywhere.
In fact, I don’t know where to find the PROPER tool. The
adjustment in there is a little weird, but the #4 flat-
blade screwdriver in Radio Shack’s Precision Screwdriver
Set, #64-1948, will get the job done if you’re gentle and
careful. Nothing else will work that I know of without
damaging the adjustment head of X-301, and if you do
that, you’re dead in the water. Now that you’re armed

with the right tool, here’s how to bring the US National
Bureau of Standards into your shack.

You’ll have to have a shortwave receiver capable of
receiving WWV at 10 MHz. As you may or may not know, WWV
in Ft. Collins, Colorado and WWVH in Hawaii each broad-
cast a 10 MHz standard frequency along with Time of Day
and other standard signals. We’ll use their 10 MHz RF
carrier because it is certified to be accurate to within
one part in 10 11 , and it just happens to match the 10 MHz
X-301. You can’t beat that with a stick!

Now tune in WWV or WWVH at 10 MHz and make sure you can
get a fairly decent signal. At certain times of the day,
it may fade or be hard to detect. If so, wait for a
better time, because you have to have a fairly stable,
clean WWV signal. A little noise won’t hurt, but you
better be able to hear the voice announcements each
minute and the tones in between the minutes. Assuming
that you have a decent WWV signal available, pop the case
on your scanner and locate the PLL sub-chassis on the
bottom side of the PR0-2004/5/6. Pop the cover off the
shielded compartment that contains X-301 and take a
moment to familiarize yourself with everything you need
to know. Identify X-301 and the 16-pin MC145158 chip.
Then locate Pin 14 of the chip, which is the source for
the 10 MHz output of X-301 .

With your SW receiver tuned to WWV at 10 MHz, touch the
end of a short 6"-12" (insulated) wire to Pin 14 of the
MC145158 chip. Immediately you’ll note a different sound
out of the shortwave receiver! That’s because the 10 MHz
signal from X-301 will radiate out the wire and be picked
by the SWL receiver, same as WWV. It will be helpful if
your receiver has an S-Meter for a visual indication of
what’s happening, too. We will use this “sound" (and the
S-Meter), if your SW receiver has one, to adjust X-301
more accurately than virtually any frequency counter ever
could!!!! If the signal from X-301 totally overrides
WWV’s signal on your receiver, cut a few inches off the
wire you’re using to touch Pin 14. The idea is to be
able to hear (and see) both WWV and X-301 ’s signals at
the same time at about the same strength, give or take a
little either way.

Now, we have to digress again so that you can understand
what we’re about to do. Get someone to gently whistle a
very steady tone, say about 1 KHz, and then you do the
same. Have the other person hold their tone very steady
while YOU adjust yours to theirs. As your tone comes
close to matching the other’s, you’ll begin to "hear* a
flutter or a warble, which will slow down the closer the
tones get to matching, and which will speed up, the
farther away they get from a match. If your tone exactly
matches the other, there will be no warble or flutter and
the two tones will "harmonize" in an indescribable sort
of a way. You’ll see what I mean with a little practice.
This process is called "zero beating".

Now, back to WWV, the scanner and X-301. WWV transmits an
exact 10 MHz, and X-301 will "transmit" pretty close to,

'THE WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991; V1N6 - July, 1991; Page 2

but not EXACTLY 10 MHz. You will "hear" what’s going on
by listening to the receiver as the wire is touched to
Pin 14 of the MC145158 chip. If your $W receiver has an
S-meter, so much the better: watch it as you listen to
the sound. Now, peel away one corner of the tape that
covers the hole in X-301. Gently tweak X-301 a bit in
one direction; instantly you’ll hear a difference out of
the SW receiver. If you went the 'wrong" way, that
difference will "speed up'; if you went the right way, it
will 'slow down". If you’re watching an S-Meter, it will
jiggle faster when you tweak X-301 the "wrong" way and
slower in the "right" direction. Now tweak X-301 in the
"right direction" slowly, gently and a bit at a time, all
the while listening to what’s coming out of the SW
receiver. When you get X-301 ’s frequency to match WWV’s,
you’ll know it. The "effects" will slow down to zero.
Tweak X-301 back and forth a few times to see what I
mean. You just kind of "rock" it in until things are
right. It’s a hell of a process to describe here, but
you’ll know when it’s right. And, when it is right,
X-301 will be within 1 or 2 Hz of WWV’s standard
frequency. That’s your objective; to get it "right".

You might occasionally, during this process, remove the
wire from Pin 14 to orient your senses to pure WWV. Then
touch the wire to Pin 14 again and you’ll "sense" any
differences. The whole process takes only a few seconds
after you understand what to do; what to listen for and
what to watch for on the S-Meter. It is neither mystical
nor arcane; just harder to describe than to do.

After you become comfortable with this procedure, you can
use it whenever a WWV 10 MHz signal is available to keep
tabs on the condition of X-301. That’s when you will be
pleasantly surprised! It will rarely need readjustment!
At the beginning of this article, I spoke of accuracy and
stability. X-301 is a precision Temperature Compensated
Crystal Oscillator (TCXO) which will rarely if ever drift
out of tolerance. Once adjusted, a TCXO tends to stay
adjusted. I would be surprised if it needed readjustment
more than once a year, to tell you the truth, and even

then ?? That’s the neat thing about X-301, which

takes us next to the "wonderful little use for it" that I
mentioned earlier.

USE YOUR PR0-2004/5/6 AS A PRECISION FREQUENCY STANDARD

NOTE: Even if you don’t have a SW receiver with which to
verify and adjust X-301 per the above procedure, you can
still perform the below modification with high confidence
that the 10 MHz output will be within 20 Hz of exactly 10
MHz. That’s pretty great!

Trim all but about 1/8" of the leads of a 0.01-uF disk
capacitor and carefully solder one of the leads to Pin 14
of the MC145158 chip. To the other leg of the cap, solder
the center conductor of a section of mini coax cable such
as RG-177/U (impedance doesn’t matter), and I suppose you
could use RG-58, though it’s a bit bulky and large for
the purpose. Solder the shield of this coax to the
sidewall of the metal compartment that houses X-301 and

the chip. Route the coax to the rear of the scanner’s
chassis and install a BNC jack RS #278-105. Solder the
center conductor of the coax to the center pin of the BNC
jack, and the shield of the coax to the metal chassis or
to the BNC ground lug, if it has one. Now trim a notch
or hole in the cover of X-301 ’s metal shield compartment
so the cover can fit back on over the coax. Voila! Now
you have a precision 10 MHz output that can be used for
anything from calibrating frequency counters to just
periodically checking X-301 against WWV without having to
take apart the scanner! To calibrate a freq counter,
first do the WWV "zero-beat" test to make sure that X-301
is pretty close. Then connect the counter to the 10 MHz
BNC jack and adjust the counter’s internal calibration
trimmer so that it reads 10.00000 MHz. Check both X-301
and your counter periodically, and you’ll soon learn how
drifty the counter can be. You’ll also learn how rock-
solid X-301 is; a space-age miracle of accuracy and
stability. The 10 MHz Output jack can provide your shop,
shack or station with a new dimension in precision and
confidence in the accuracy of your equipment.

EPILOGUE: I have evaluated X-301 in every PR0-2004/5/6

that has crossed my bench since 1986 and in all that

time, the worst case of inaccuracy I have noted was about
40 Hz, and that unit had problems! The rest have been
within 20 Hz and most within 10 Hz. Therefore, even if
you have no method or desire to adjust X-301, you can
still use the above modification as a standard frequency
output for a variety of purposes! Also interesting, I
have been evaluating a spare X-301 that I installed in a
small metal box and keep powered up, night and day. I
check it several times a day against WWV, and so far, it
has not drifted more than 4 Hz. Most of the time, it
stays within 1 or 2 Hz of WWV, despite daily ambient temp
excursions of 60-80 degrees in my shop.

So why did I tell you all this? Maybe I ought to have my
head examined, because a perfectly fine scanner sure can
get all boogered up by indiscriminate monkeying around.
On the other hand, the neat things about X-301 are just
too rare and valuable to keep to myself. Everyone trusts
frequency counters these days like babies trust their
Mamas, but that’s the wrong thing to do. A freq counter
is no more accurate than its Time Base Oscillator, and
most in the hobbyist’s price range are good for no closer
than 500 -1000 Hz, with 200 Hz at best. Hobby counters
are typically specified to have a Time Base accuracy of
1-ppm but that’s when it leaves the factory. Mfgrs don’t
mention DRIFT in their literature. So you can see why a
freq counter is no good for adjusting X-301, but if I
hadn’t told you, then sooner or later you’d have

discovered X-301 all by yourself and that little hole
would have whispered, "Adjust me, adjust me!'. And you
would have grabbed up your trusty freq counter and gone

to town and to oblivion. Now there’s hope .. .because

you can adjust X-301 correctly and at the same time,
calibrate your freq counter for other precision needs!
Interested in potential health hazards of 60 Ht A/C fields around your hone,
property and neighborhood? Please turn this page for a defense!

'THE WORLD SCANNER REPORT " (c) 1991; V1N6 - July, 1991; Page 3

CONVERT A SOUND LEVEL METER INTO AN EM FIELD METER

All you need is Radio Shack’s Sound Level Meter, #33-2050
and their telephone pickup coil, #44-533. It would be
helpful to also get a closed circuit 1/8" phone jack,
#274-248. The idea is to substitute the telephone pickup
coil in place of the microphone element and voila! The
Sound Level Meter becomes an Electromagnetic Field Meter
capable of measuring the relative strength of 60-Hz AC
fields which are now coming under the scrutiny of medical
and science professionals because of possible health
hazards. The meter will detect the presence and relative
strength of a wide range of VLF fields, weak to very
strong, continuous and intermittent. Who knows what
dangers lurk in those AC fields? Scientists and doctors
don’t know for sure, but there are grounds for suspicion.

The idea is to wire in the phone jack on the back case of
the meter so that when the telephone coil is not plugged
in, the instrument functions for the intended purpose of
measuring sound levels; but when the telephone coil plugs
into the jack the mic is automatically disconnected, and
the coil becomes the sensor for EM fields. The electronic
part of the Sound Level Meter can handle either function
without alteration because 60 Hz audio or VLF EM field
signals are well within its spec. The mic converts sound
waves into electronic signals while the coil converts
alternating EM fields into similar electronic signals.
Those electronic signals from either sensor are the very
same, you see. It is that simple, believe me, but if you
don’t understand this process, wait for the Sept 91,
issue of "Monitoring Times: where all the gory details
will be clearly laid out.

To operate it as an EM Field Meter, just plug in the
telephone pickup coil; select the "C Weight" and 'Slow
Response" functions on the meter; and put the coil on or
near things that you suspect emit EM fields. Adjust the
meter dial for an appropriate reading. The ‘120 dB"

position is the least sensitive setting which measures

very strong fields. The "60 dB" position is the most
sensitive which measures extremely weak fields. The
range of measurement from weak (50 dB) to strong (126 dB)

is 76-dB, or a ratio of nearly 40-million to 1. Not bad

for an investment of under $40, tops.

FROM THE FIDONET COMPUTER NETUJORK

Message #8532 - SHORTWAVE
Date : 26-Apr-91 00:34
From : David Stark
To : Steve Jennings
Subject : A0R AR-1000

> You said that you had an AR-1000 but you sold it. I

> was looking at that scanner & would greatly appreciate

> a "yea" or "nay" on purchasing one from someone who has

> had experience (good or bad) with it.

It was probably me. The AR-1000 and the Icom IC-R1 are
the only portable scanners in their class. Icoms are

still very hard to get, so A0R pretty much has the market
to themselves. If you must have a portable that covers
the full frequency range, it is your only choice. That
being said, to me the AR-1000 was a disappointment. I
found the adjacent channel rejection and general select-
ivity to be extremely poor. Sensitivity was excellent,
which is actually a drawback in combination with the
problems that I mentioned. The attenuator had varying
effects on received signals depending on freq and mode.
The silliest thing about the AR-1000 is the lack of SSB.
A scanner is a utility monitoring device and if it
includes the HF bands, it should be capable of detecting
the primary utility voice mode. In practice, the addition
of coverage below 25 MHz is overkill. You just can’t
carry an antenna on a portable radio that will give
decent performance all the way from 8 MHz to 2 GHz. The
short answer is - I would not buy another one.

* Origin: NF2G / KNY2DJ / RCMA NY-172 / (1=260/218)

Message #8984 - SHORTWAVE
Date : Ol-May-91 12=31
From : Dwayne Rich
To : Timothy Dobbins
Subject : AR1000 Scanner

Well I own an A0R 1000 and I think it’s big advantages
are being able to pick up shortwave broadcasts and have
1000 channels. It’s disadvantage is it’s price and the
scan rate and the birdie you mentioned. I find a birdie
on only one frequency around here and that frequency is
for a radio system that I can only receive on days when
"skip" is prevalent anyhow. If they could increase the
scan speed it would help. Oh one more thing it is
sometimes a victim of "overload" from a nearby repeater
when I have it in scan mode. If I had the choice and I
didn’t need the 1000 channels I would get a Bearcat
200xlt if I needed the 1000 channels I would get the AOR.
*0rig: Beancounter ’s Paradise Pt Cary.N.C. (1:151/1000.20)

Message #4364 "SWL/Scanners"

Date: 03-May-91 07=39
From: Tom Eagan
To: All

Sub j : AR-1000

I received my AR-1000 monday. The good news is it seemed
to be as good as (even better) that the 3 (nsitivity).
The instructions were much better than I had hoped for
and when I called ACE a few questions the were answered
on the spot. The programing and search functions are a
little screwy and there are quite a few more key-strokes
to it than in the 23 or 200 but the extra effort gives a
range of options when doing the programing. Like select
the mode/bank and channel. Thats the good news - the bad
news is that on Thursday it hung up and would not scan or
search. I called ACE, they said sounded like the
processor was shot and to send it back for a replacement.
I had bought it from Scancommunications in Iowa ($355).
Quite a good price if you consider that you get a case,
nicads a charger for ac and one for auto (car) use. Of
course the big problem now seems to be its short life.

'THE VORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991; V1N6 - July, 1991; Page 4

More to follow when I get my new 1000. If anyone has any
questions post them and I’ll try to answer them. By the
way - most of the things that were complained about in
another posted msg, birdies, a/c sensitivity etc were NOT
experienced by me. Perhaps AOR has corrected these
problems?! * Origin: Gandalf’s 619-466-9505 (1:202/302)

Message #7693 - Scanner Conference
Date : 09-May-91 11:56
From : Tom Eagan
To : All

Subject : AR-1000

Next chapter - After returning my first AR-1000 (it would
not scan or search), yesterday I received the second one.

Opened the box, threw in some freqs but nothing Seems

this one will receive fine in the manual mode but will
not stop scanning even with the squelch wide open. I
called ACE and they said that they would send me another
one (UPS overnight) and also have the second defective
one picked up by UPS. (The first one cost me $8 to return
to them. As I said before - what little I have been able
to use them the sensitivity and selectivity were as good
as or even better than my 2006, 34 and 200 - - if only
the thing would last for more that 2 days. It will be
interesting, to say the least, to see what the third one
will do, meanwhile UPS is making out like a champ. If any
has any questions or comments on the 1000 ’s operation,
programing etc. post them and I’ll try to respond. — *
Origin: Gandalf’s - 619-466-9505 (1=202/302)

Message #8948 - SHORTWAVE
Date : 27-Apr-91 06=27
From : ELTON BYINGTON
To : All

Subject : Digital Signal Processor

There’s an interesting review of a new digital signal
processor in the May issue of 73 magazine. What this
thing amounts to is a digital audio filter that

accentuates voice and attenuates noise, if the signal
you’re trying to copy is slightly above the background
noise level to begin with. Known as the NIR-10 Digital
Signal Processor, the thing attaches between your

receiver’s output stage and the loudspeaker and, from
what’s said in the review, does a pretty good job of
suppressing noise on the channel. Being a gadget freak, I
ordered one. Should be here in a couple of weeks and I’ll
do a full report after I get used to the thing.

The review’s on page 34 of the May issue of 73. This
magic box is manufactured by JPS Communications, Inc.,
P.0. Box 97757, 5516 Old Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC
27609. (919) 790-1048 for info. Price class: $400.

*0rig: Pinelands RBBS 609-859-1910 ( 8 = 950/2 )( 1=266/22. 32)

Message #3385 - SHORTWAVE
Date : ll-May-91 11=54
From : John Hicks
To : Bill Cheek on (1=202/719)

Subject = Handheld Scanner Criteria

BC> Bummer. If you still have a PRO-34 or other intermod/
BC> image/overload susceptible handheld, you might set up
BC) an experiment using an attenuator between the antenna
BC> and the scanner.

Bill, I live in an extremely RF-rich area and had mucho
overload problems with my BC-200XLT . Went to local Rat

Shack and found an inline attenuator with F-connectors.
Added F-to-BNC adaptors to each end and I just put it
into the antenna line when needed. It really knocks out
the overloads but apparently doesn’t badly affect the
reception range of the comms I want to hear. I usually
use an antenna stuck on the top of my truck. Also, the
BC-200 has less overload probs than my Regency HX-2200.

Message #4114 - SHORTWAVE
Date : 21-Jun-91 10:34
From : Kirk Baxter
To : All

Subject : IC0M R7100; Replacement for IC-R7000!

**** NEW ALL-MODE WIDEBAND IC-R7100 RECEIVER ****

))) 25 to 2000 Mhz continuous coverage allowing you to
receive VHP, UHF, amateur, marine, CB, utility bands, FM
and TV Broadcasts.

> All-mode capability.

> 900 memory channels in 9 banks.

> 20 Scan edge memory channels.

> Dual scan with over 40 combinations.

> High sensitivity and reliable frequency stability.

> 0 . 1 ; 1 ; 5 ; 10 ; 12 . 5 ; 20 ; 25 : 100 Khz & 1 MHz tuning steps

> Built-in 24 hour system clock with 5 0N/0PF timers.

> Effective 20 dB attenuator for strong signals.

> Automatic tape recorder switch

> Dial lock function.

> Noise squelch and S-meter squelch.

> CI _ V system for computer control w/ optional CT-17.

> Frequency announcement in English with optional UT-36.

> Large function display with variable LCD backlight.

> Easy-to-read S-meter plus FM center indicators.

> AC and DC power operation.

Is your mouth watering yet? When will it come to these
shores? Bah, no 30Khz steps. Price: ???? Cancel those
IC-R7000 orders! Origin! ANARC BBS-Assoc.of North
American Radio Clubs (913)345-1978 (280/3)

EDITOR'S NOTE: The shore nessages froe the FidoNet were lightly edited for
space ecoBony.

A READER ASKS

From Bill Bowers; Oklahoma: in a forthcoming "WSR" how

about comments on=

1. The AR-800 search increment in the 830-950 MHz Range
is 25 KHz. Can this be changed to 5, 10, or 30?

2. The Bearcat BC-1 looks like a handy "traveling"
scanner. I make a lot of multi-state trips and this

'THE WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991; V1N6 - July, 1991; Page 5

"preprogrammed" scanner would be nice if the available
frequencies are good and fairly complete. Comments?

3. Any comments on fixed and mobile antennas would help.

4. I note that OK Highway Patrol has 800-900 MHz antennas
but there is no listing for that frequency range for
the State Police. Any reader help?

Keep up the fine work. Your US reports are read, reread
and appreciated. Don’t know how you find the time and
energy. Regards from Bill Bowers

BBITOR'S RBPLY: (l) Probably not, Bill, since SBARCB steps are aostly a

function of the hard programing of tie CPU and te can 't get to tint part of
it. (2) I think the BC-1 is geared to tie urban yuppie and his BBf for the
tost part. I can't see it for tie serious scannist because tie programing
is strictly police freqs on a state-tide basis and that programing toald
cote frou cottonly published sources such as POLICB CALL & BETTY BBARCAT,
thich are nothing spectacular in tens of baring tie "good" frequencies.
The BC-1 does not offer fire, tedical or other etergency service corerage
and you can't progran it yourself. It does offer all 40 of the CB channels
and tie HOAA reatier channels for riaterer tiat is north. (3) I at not an
expert on mobile scanner antennas, (AiO, tiere aren't tiat nany around to
choose frot!) but I use Radio Shack's All Band Hagnet Hount 120-012 and find
it to be acceptable, if not great. ( 4 ) I don't hare any Oklahota frequency
info available so re'll iave to appeal to tie readers on tiat one. Tiere
are four "USB" subscribers in tie Tulsa region, so taybe they knot, hot
there is a possibility. Bill, that the state bulls hare configured their
cars riti cellular telephones! Lots of cops are doing that these days at
their otn ezpense, too! There's no difference betreen cellular and SHR
antennas so they'd all look alike. By bet is cellular phones! (5) Tine and
energy are easy to cote up riti, Bill, then that you're doing is fun,
exciting, challenging, and retarding. By day begins around 6:30an and
continues to about aidnight, and I lore every minute of it!

REDUCING ADJACENT CHANNEL INTERFERENCE
IN THE PR0-2004. PR0-2005 & PR0-2006

By: "Professor Peabody"

This month we will tackle the problem of excessive IF
bandwidth in the PR0-2004/5/6. I mentioned this to be a
liability in these and other scanners in past articles.
Adjacent Channel Interference (ACI)_is not a big problem
in rural areas of the country but in metro areas where
digital pagers, police repeaters, and Ham Radio operators
with powerful Packet Radio stations reign supreme, all
sorts of noise can splash across the IF bandwidth in your
scanner. The stock 15 KHz filter in these radios admits
humongous amounts of ACI along with desired signals. Ue
will modify the circuits containing CF2 in the 2004 or
CF4 in the 2005/6 by adding a much narrower IF filter,
and boy does it ever work like a champ!

There are two ways to approach this project. If you want
to do the very best possible job, the main receiver board
must be freed and lifted from the chassis so you can work
from the solder side. It may be worth the time & effort
in the long run, though. All mounting screws; the +5v
regulator IC-8, and Q-32 must be freed from the chassis.
Uhen later reassembling IC-8 and Q-32 don’t forget a dab
of silicone thermal grease on the mounting face of each.

A more practical, albeit less professional, way to do
this job, especially if you already have a bunch of
modifications installed, or if the prospects of removing
the main receiver board scares the hell out of you, is to
clip or desolder a pin of IC-2 and work between the cut
or desoldered points. The rest of this discussion will
be on the easier method because I know most of you won’t
do it the other way, and I can’t say as I blame you.

Figure 1, the schematic and wiring diagram will guide you
in addition to the text below. This modification will
consist of in/out switching a special NARROW filter in
series with CF-2 (PR0-2004) or CF-4 (PR0-2005/6) to
provide greatly improved rejection of Adjacent Channel
Interference. We want to be able to have original filter
action for most of our listening, and switch in the
narrow filter for critical needs.

The first thing is to fabricate the IF filter switching
assembly on a small piece of perf board. Make it as
small as you can because it will be located above the
circuit board from where the stock filter is located. A
SPOT relay is used to switch the path between the two
filters. You can use a variety of means to switch the
relay, but the simpler approach involves an SPST toggle
switch mounted on either the front or rear panels.

The most difficult-to-obtain item is the narrow IF filter
but the kind you need can be salvaged from a junked CB
radio, virtually all of which will have just what you
need; a small black cube-like thing marked CFU-455H2 or
maybe CFW-455H. If the filter comes out of a CB radio,
it will be the right thing and different numbers won’t
matter. Otherwise, if you prefer Murata-Erie filters
like those used in CB rigs, contact :MURATA-ERIE NORTH
AMERICA, LTD; 1148 FRANKLIN RD $E; MARIETTA, GA 30067;
(404) 436-1300, and specify part #CFW-455H or CFU-455H2.
Either of those will be fine though the CFW is a bit
better .

Another source, our usual favorite, is DIGI-KEY; Highway
32 So; THIEF RIVER FALLS, MN 56701. (800) 344-4539. They
don’t handle Murata-Erie products, but they do have a
TOKO filter, part #TK-2331 that can be acceptable if you
can’t get a Murata-Erie filter. The TOKO filter is very
small and fits nicely on a perfboard. A notch is on the
top of the filter to designate the "IN" terminal. The
middle leg hooks to t8 volts like the stock filter and
the other lug is the "OUT" terminal.

A low current 12-volt relay is used to switch the new
filter in and out of circuit. An LED can be added as an
indicator. The resistor in series with the relay coil is
to limit precious current drawn from the power supply.
An SPST switch is indicated but you can control it anyway
you want. 12 volts can be taken from the INPUT of the +5
volt regulator, IC-8. See the service manual for your
unit for gory details that are not necessary here.

After your Narrow IF Filter & Relay board is built, it
must be connected to the scanner. This is the hairy part

’THE WORLD SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991; V1N6 - July, 1991; Page 6

and where you need to be very patient and careful.
Examine IC-2 in your PR0-2004/5/6 and find Pins 3 and 5.
Select the pin that’s easiest to work with and there are
two ways to proceed: one is to snip the easiest pin to
access, probably Pin 5 in the PR0-2005/6 and Pin 3 in the
PR0-2004, but it’s your choice. If you choose to snip
the pin, do it as close to the circuit board as possible
so as to leave some pin length to the IC-2. The second
way is to desolder Pin 3 or 5 (your choice) and pry it
out of the pin hole with a wedge tool while heating it.
Either way, your objective is to separate Pin 3 or Pin 5
from where it enters the circuit board. Clip it or
desolder it; your choice.

Raise the now free pin up from the circuit board area so
that it clears where it used to go. Try to not break
that pin off the body of IC-2. That would be kind of
embarrassing, you know. If you do break that pin, you
might still be able to tack solder a wire to the break
later, but that’s taking an unnecessary risk, so just be
careful with the pin, ok? It’s not the end of the world
to have to replace IC-2, but you don’t really want to do
it if you don’t have to. Try not to have to.

Refer periodically to Figure 1 to guide you as follows:
With as short as possible ( l/2"-l " ) stiff wires, solder
the 'INPUT", 'OUTPUT", and +8 volt points on the new IF
board to the appropriate points of the separated Pin 3 or
Pin 5. By the way, +8v at the chip is Pin 4. You can
solder directly to it. Of course, the relay and LED
need 12 volts and ground but these are separate from the
IF lines, and length is not important. As a final note,
plan your installation carefully and make provisions to
mount the IF board to something. I used silicone rubber
underneath my board to glue it to a nearby capacitor and
to make sure that nothing shorts out.

Now that the installation is complete, turn on the radio
and check for proper operation. It should sound normal.
Next, activate the circuit and listen for a reduced high

"THE H0UI SUMER REPORT" ( c )

frequency output of the audio. This is the proper action
of the narrower filter. If no difference is heard check
for operation of the relay. At the cathode end of the
diode, Dl, should be 12 volts when activated and 0 volts
when not. When you’ve corrected any problems, scan to a
channel with adjacent channel interference and activate
the IF switcher. Hear how the offending noise is reduced
or eliminated altogether? A slight, but welcome, increase
in signal-to-noise ratio might be a side benefit here.
Good luck till we meet again; 73/PROFESSOR PEABODY

THE SCANNER MODIFICATION HANDBOOK CORNER

MOD-23 & MOD-29 NOTES FROM ‘PROFESSOR PEABODY"

SEARCH & STORE; NOTE 1: My able assistant Sherman reminds
me to tell you of the side benefits of the Extended
Delay, MOD 29, now appearing in SMH, Vol-2. When using
the Search and Store modules (MOD-23) from Key Research
Co, the modules can get hung up from short bursts of RF.
Refer to page 156 in Vol-2. Instead of hooking the
ORANGE wire of either the PS-90 or the SS-45 module to
the scanner’s IC-3, Pin 3 as Key Research directs, hook
the orange wire to U-l, Pin 6 of MOD-29, the 74HC00 NAND
gate. Turn ON the Extended Delay and set it for about
0.5 to 1 second or so. A short burst of RF will still
get processed by the SEARCH & STORE module but it can’t
possibly get hung up! Also, since you have added an
artificial delay to the circuit, the module won’t resume
searching until the extended delay has finished. Just be
sure to turn ON the Extended Delay if this anti-hang
feature is desired. OFF, and everything is normal.
Sometime, I will show you how to add an LED to this
circuit to show delay time and squelch breaks.

SEARCH & STORE MOD-23, NOTE 2- Sherman, himself, found an
additional benefit to the Speed Crystal Switch Mod that I
presented in "WSR" V1N3. As you may know, the SEARCH &
STORE modules don’t usually work with the 10 MHz crystal
speedup for the PR0-2004/5. If you switch in the stock
1991; riH6 - July, 1991; Page 7

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List the make & model of your scanners and other radio equipment :

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OTHER LITERATURE AVAILABLE

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me rbhittahce pjmle in us pjm to: cmrimcs mimnso

Radio Interests? (Put YEARS OP EXPERIENCE in each block that applies)
VHP-UHF Amateur CB Shortuaxe Professional

Scanning? Radio? Radio? Listening? Radio?

Career/Profession

Or Occupation:

List the make & lodel of any computer equipment you own/ operate :

Enclose a 110 S.A.S.E. and one loose extra stamp if you want
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7.37 Mhz crystal to operate the S&S modules and when
finished, switch back to 10 MHz for 30-ch/sec, you can
have your cake and eat it too! When my 2005 was a true
2005, I used this mod to operate my PS-90. It’s the only
way I know of to have a fast PR0-2004/5 and a SEARCH &
STORE feature. Of course, the PR0-2006 can be sped up to
40-ch/sec (16 MHz) and still work just great with the
SEARCH & STORE modules, thanks to its new CPU. 73/Prof

FIG 1: Narrow/Stock IF Filter Wiring/Schematic Diagram
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ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO

[Photo and narrative by: A1 Steigler, Hartford, CT . ]
Following are some things I’ve done to my scanner you
might find interesting. I purchased a Temperature
Indicator /Controller , Radio Shack #277-123 and two
Electronic Counting modules, RS#277-302. I’m not one who
likes to put things in a box so all three items were
"super glued" to the lower front panel of my PR0-2006.
The Temperature Indicator is on the extreme left side
with a 12-seg DIP switch glued underneath for control.
In the center of the scanner’s front panel is the
Counting Module for MOD-30, the Event Counter. To the
right of this is a signal strength meter housed in the
same kind of case the other two items are in. I removed
a counter module from one of the units to use for the
S-Meter. Now, get this: the light from the $-Meter
shines through the top of the housing and gives INDIRECT
LIGHTING of the entire keyboard. Also drilled a small
hole in the Temp and Counting Module’s face plate on the
bottom where I inserted two bulbs, Radio Shack #272-1154
and completed the necessary wiring for all three goodies
on the front panel. Even though I took power off the low
side of the 0N/0FF switch, I installed two SPST switches,
Radio Shack #275-624 so I could control the lights in all
three units independently of the scanner’s on/off
control. Several folds of aluminum foil are inside the
panel of the Temp and Counting modules to keep the lamp
bulbs from burning through. On the left side of the
scanner (upper section) is a Micro-27 tape recorder,
Radio Shack #14-1044. On the bottom of the scanner case
are three 9-v battery holders, Radio Shack #270-326. If
I’m out on the road and the memory battery is about to
"expire" at least I’ll have a spare so all my 6,400
channels aren’t lost! (MODs 16/28.) MOD-31 is in the
planning stages to be next.

EDITOR'S HOTS! I bare reactivated ny conputer connection with CBaie
Infomation Services. I can be reached there daily by B-Hail and on the
Radio-Electmics RoundTable. My E-Mail address on CBaie is! N.CEEERSR1.

"TEE mil) SCANNER REPORT" (c) 1991; UNS - July, 1991; Page S

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